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Episode 139: Are you responsible for coaching your team's effort level? The question struck me after hearing WNBA Coach Becky Hammon's bold post-game declaration following a tough loss: "I will not coach effort." Her philosophy is clear—professional athletes must bring 100% effort or risk being benched. But how does this translate to finance leadership?

Unlike professional sports, we lead teams with varying experience, motivation, and career aspirations. The approach that works for championship athletes may need substantial modification in our world. As finance leaders, our expectations about effort should adapt based on team member seniority and organizational level. A CFO might reasonably expect consistent high effort from VP-level direct reports, while more junior team members may need different guidance.

This episode explores the delicate balance of expecting versus coaching effort, drawing parallels between sports leadership, military command, and finance team management. We examine the tools available to finance leaders—from bonuses and promotions to training opportunities and key project assignments—and how these can be used strategically to address effort disparities without "benching" team members in the traditional sense.

Most importantly, we consider how our own example sets the standard. The effort we demonstrate daily as leaders becomes the benchmark for our teams. High-performance organizations don't just happen—they start with leaders who consistently model extraordinary effort and establish clear expectations about how work gets done.

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